Oman women's holiday

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This itinerary avoids domestic flights within Oman, with all travel undertaken overland between Muscat, Sur, the Sharqiya Sands, Misfah Al Abriyeen and Nizwa. Travelling by road rather than internal air reduces the overall carbon footprint of the journey while allowing guests to experience the country’s varied landscapes.

Transport throughout the trip is shared, with the group travelling together in the same vehicle for transfers and touring. This reduces per person emissions compared with individual transport arrangements and helps minimise the environmental impact of travel between destinations.

Local food is an important part of the experience, with several meals hosted by community initiatives or local families, including lunch with the Sidab Women’s Group, a Bedouin family meal in the desert, and a home hosted lunch in Nizwa. These meals rely largely on locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, helping to reduce food miles while supporting local producers. Vegetarian options are also widely available.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

The visit to Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve supports one of the world’s most important conservation programmes for endangered green turtles. Access to the nesting beaches is strictly managed by trained rangers to minimise disturbance, and visitor fees contribute directly to conservation, monitoring and research efforts.

The journey visits fragile natural environments including desert landscapes, wadis and mountain ecosystems. Guests are guided by local experts who explain the importance of protecting these environments and ensure visits follow responsible tourism guidelines such as staying on designated paths and respecting wildlife habitats.

Accommodation used in sensitive areas, particularly desert camps in the Sharqiya Sands, is selected for its low impact approach. These camps operate with careful waste management, controlled water use and limited infrastructure designed to reduce environmental pressure on delicate desert ecosystems.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Several accommodations used on this itinerary are locally owned, helping ensure tourism revenue remains within Omani communities. Notable examples include Misfah Old House in the mountain village of Misfah Al Abriyeen, a traditional guesthouse run by local residents that preserves historic architecture while providing employment within the village. Desert accommodation in the Sharqiya Sands is also locally operated and supports Bedouin families living in the region.

The itinerary includes multiple experiences designed to support small community initiatives and local livelihoods. A visit to the Sidab Women’s Group in Muscat highlights a cooperative project where women produce reusable fabric bags as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic, with tourism visits providing both income and visibility for the initiative. Travellers also visit Mutrah Souq and the Nizwa market, where local traders, farmers and artisans sell regional products.

Further opportunities to support local communities include meals and cultural exchanges hosted by Omani families, such as a Bedouin family visit in the Sharqiya Sands and a home hosted lunch in Nizwa. These experiences provide direct economic benefit to local households while offering travellers a more authentic insight into Omani daily life.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

The ground operations for this journey rely primarily on local staff, including Omani guides, drivers and hospitality workers. The majority of employees involved in delivering the trip are from Oman, with many drawn from the regions visited along the itinerary, helping ensure tourism creates employment opportunities within local communities.

This women only departure has been designed to create opportunities for women in tourism. The programme includes engagement with female led community initiatives such as the Sidab Women’s Group, and wherever possible the tour is led by professional local female guides, supporting greater participation of women in a sector where they have traditionally been under represented.

Local operating partners are expected to follow national employment laws and ensure that staff are paid at least the legal minimum wage in Oman. Employment practices are based on equal opportunity principles and aim to provide fair working conditions regardless of gender, nationality or background.

While Oman is a culturally conservative destination, the tour itself is designed to be welcoming and inclusive for travellers who are comfortable travelling within local cultural norms. Due to the nature of the itinerary, which includes historic villages, uneven terrain and desert environments, the trip may present challenges for travellers with limited mobility.